With Jurgen Klopp set to leave Liverpool this summer, it has raised several questions regarding the future of the club's key players. One of those is club captain Virgil van Dijk, who is entering the final year of his contract this summer.
Following Klopp's bombshell announcement, the Dutch center-back cast his future with the Reds into doubt, revealing publicly that he was unsure whether he will be part of the post-Klopp era. This was back in January, with the 32-year-old saying: "That's a big question. Well, I don't know."
When reminded that he will be entering the final year of his contract and will thus need to resolve his this matter soon, he responded with: "That is correct – good maths. Listen, I don't know. The club will have a big job on their hands, that is well known. To replace the manager and replace not only the manager, the staff is leaving, and there are so many things that will change.
"So the club has a big job on its hands and I am very curious which direction that will go in. But when that will be announced we will see our situation, I can't say now."
Furthermore, with recent reports linking the player with Bayern Munich, Liverpool fans began fretting over this situation. Fortunately, the Dutchman has revealed another update, with the former Southampton center-back all but walking back his previous claim.
While the defender stated that nothing has changed regarding his contract, the player confessed that he will be part of the post-Klopp era, with all the major news outlets reporting that Feyenoord boss Arne Slot is set to succeed the German.
"The focus is now on the last two games and then the club will focus on who the new manager is and there will be a big transition and I am part of that," Van Dijk said, as per the Guardian.
"There is nothing for me to discuss [regarding my future] because there is no news. Like I said, I am very happy here, I love the club and you can see that as well. It's a big part of my life already.
"There will be a lot of changes happening and I wouldn't say scary is the right word, but it is quite interesting and exciting what will happen now. So let's see."
Van Dijk's current contract runs until the summer of 2025. This means that while his latest statement is positive, the English giants will need to resolve this issue swiftly or risk losing one of the best center-backs in world football for free in roughly 12 months.
Additionally, Virgil is not the only player whose future is up in the air. The same is true for Mohamed Salah, who has heavily been linked with the Saudi Pro League, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is reportedly on Real Madrid's radar. Likewise, both the Englishman and Egyptian star will enter the final year of their deals this summer.